Newly uncovered IRS documents show the agency flagged political groups based on the content of their literature, raising concerns specifically about ”anti-Obama rhetoric,” inflammatory language and “emotional” statements made by non-profits seeking tax-exempt status.

The internal 2011 documents, obtained by USA TODAY, list 162 groups by name, with comments by Internal Revenue Service lawyers in Washington raising issues about their political, lobbying and advocacy activities. In 21 cases, those activities were characterized as “propaganda.”[…]Tax law experts say those comments appear to show IRS employees trying to apply the murky rules governing political activities by social welfare groups.

But the American Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit legal institute that represents 23 of the groups appearing on the IRS list, said it appears to be “the most powerful evidence yet of a coordinated effort” by the IRS to target Tea Party groups.

This latest wrinkle in a story that already had chilling ramifications for free speech just amplifies that point. And though there have been some resignations and officials placed on leave, there is still no one in the IRS who has been held accountable.